Department for Transport

Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what works will be required south of Bedford to enable Midland Mainline electrification north of Bedford.

Claire Perry: The scope for Midland Main Line electrification includes making appropriate adjustment to the Fast Line Overhead Line Equipment between London St Pancras and Bedford South Junction.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many properties in Eddisbury have been purchased under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme since phase two of High Speed 2 was announced.

Mr Robert Goodwill: As of 31 January, 3 properties have been purchased under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme in Eddisbury.

Roads: Investment

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a list of (a) ongoing projects and (b) planned projects within the strategic road network in each region under the first road investment strategy; and how many such projects he expects will be completed (i) ahead of schedule, (ii) on schedule and (iii) behind schedule.

Andrew Jones: The Road Investment Strategy (RIS) and the Highways England Delivery Plan 2015-2020 list the ongoing projects and planned projects for each region. Of the 112 projects named in the RIS, five projects have either opened of will open in 2015-16 as planned. For the remaining projects all but two are progressing on or ahead of schedule.

Railways: EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of a Keeling Schedule for Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 as amended by draft Regulation COM/2013/028 final.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The text of draft Regulation COM/2013/028, part of the European Commission’s Fourth Railway Package, is under active negotiation and therefore remains subject to potential modification. The latest published version of the draft text, a general approach reached at Transport Council on 8 October 2015, is available from http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-12777-2015-INIT/en/pdf.Once a final text is agreed, this will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. A consolidated version of Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 as amended will also be made publicly available via http://eur-lex.europa.eu.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 21012, what further estimate he has made of the (a) number of and (b) cost of repairs identified to date to the (i) strategic road network and (ii) local road network.

Andrew Jones: Two sections of road on the strategic road network have been damaged by the recent flooding. The river bank was washed out on both sides at Warwick Bridge on the A69 near Carlisle. This will be repaired, as agreed with the Environment Agency (EA), using gabion baskets at an estimated cost of £60,000. A 1.5 mile section of the westbound dual carriageway on the A66 in Cumbria is currently closed following the storms. The provisional cost estimate for reopening this section of the network is between £3m and £5m dependent on the findings of a recent geotechnical survey. The rest of the strategic road network in the North West region has now been returned to a fully serviceable condition. The cost of clearing the affected network in the North West region is estimated at £275,000. The Department for Transport is continuing to collate a comprehensive list of damage caused to the local highway network following the recent storms encountered in some areas of the country.

Motorcycles: Electric Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the extension of the plug-in grant to motorcycles; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport has received representations from the Motorcycle Industry Association on a consumer incentive for zero emission motorcycles, as well as correspondence form the public at official level.

Railways: Competition

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage competition between rail services providers in the UK.

Claire Perry: Since the launch of the franchising programme in March 2013, the Department has introduced a series of measures aimed at increasing the number of companies in the market. Working with UKTI and other partners in Government, we have been actively seeking potential new entrants. We have engaged closely with a number of companies that are looking to join the market and have provided advice on the conditions and qualities of our market so they can begin the process of entry.

Regional Airports: Finance

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value is of awards made to each route from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund.

Mr Robert Goodwill: In December 2015 Government announced that 11 new air routes would be supported with start-up aid funding through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund for three financial years. The amount of funding provided to support individual routes will be paid in arrears and will be determined once routes begin operations and will depend on factors such as the number of passengers carried.

Luton Station

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibilities for (a) upkeep, (b) condition and (c) repair at Luton railway station are discharged by (i) Network Rail, (ii) Govia Thameslink Railway and (iii) any other organisation.

Claire Perry: Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), as the station operator, are responsible for the upkeep, repair and condition of the cosmetic appearance of the station, including the car park and footbridge under a lease agreement from Network Rail. Network Rail, as station owner, are responsible for the structural upkeep and repair. GTR advise the lift and stairs to the footbridge, at the front of the station, are the responsibility of Luton Borough Council and that the bus station and busway do not form part of the station footprint.

Shipping: Oil

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department plans to hold with colleagues in the Scottish Government on the environmental proposal for ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Cromarty firth.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Port of Cromarty Firth Oil Transfer Licence (OTL) application, which ran from 10 December 2015 to 8 February 2016 was sent to Scottish Government officials directly through Marine Scotland, and to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and the Highland Council, in order to seek their views. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is the Competent Authority that assesses all applications for OTLs, and the MCA has regular contact with the Scottish Government and their appropriate officials on a number of issues, including ship-to-ship licencing. The MCA has worked closely with them on previous OTL applications and the development of the policy itself. With the public consultation having just ended, the assessment phase will begin and the MCA looks forward to continuing this cooperation in relation to the Cromarty Firth proposal, prior to any decision being made.

Bus Service Operators Grant

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department plans to provide Transport for London (TfL) with Bus Service Operators Grant funding when the general grant paid to TfL is removed from 2018.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department has no intention of doing this. In addition to the grants provided by the Department for Transport, TfL receives around £800 million a year of funding through the Business Rate Retention Scheme, in which the Greater London Authority passes TfL an agreed share of locally retained business rates. This funding stream has, since 2013, included an amount to reflect the changes to the payment of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) that were introduced in that year. TfL will continue to receive this funding from 2018 onwards, alongside the investment grant provided by the Department.

Transport for London: Finance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24092, whether the transport grant his Department provides for Transport for London (TfL) is included within, or is separate from, the general grant paid to TfL and the Greater London Authority.

Mr Robert Goodwill: They are one and the same thing. Under section 101 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, the Department for Transport provides an annual grant to the Greater London Authority, known as the GLA transport grant, for the purposes of Transport for London. In recent years the grant has had both a capital and a resource element to it, sometimes referred to informally as TfL’s “investment” and “general” grants. In 2015/16 the GLA transport grant amounted to a little over £1.5 billion in total, split between some £925 million of capital funding (TfL’s “investment grant”), and some £659 million of resource funding (TfL’s “general grant”).

Bus Services: Standards

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23952, what methods and data his Department has used to measure trends in bus punctuality since 2010.

Andrew Jones: MethodsBus punctuality data are collected and managed by local authorities, and published by the Department for Transport in online statistical tables. Bus punctuality data are based on roadside observational surveys, electronic data derived from Automatic Vehicle Location devices or a combination of the two. Local authorities are given guidance to make sure collection methods are consistent. The guidance for local authorities on collecting bus punctuality data was last updated in February 2010. Not all local authorities collect bus punctuality data. DataThe Department publishes two measures of bus punctuality for frequent and non-frequent bus services. A frequent service is one that has six or more buses per hour. For frequent services, statistics by local authority are available in table BUS0903, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/463885/bus0903.xls. This measure represents the excess waiting time arising from irregular gaps between services. The proportion of non-frequent bus services in England running on-time is published in table BUS0902, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/463884/bus0902.xls. The latest statistics show that in 2014/15, 83% of non-frequent services ran on-time compared with 80% in 2009/10. ‘On-time’ is defined as one between 1 minute early and 5 minutes 59 seconds late.

Breathalysers: France

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the legal requirement for drivers in France to carry a breathalyser and its effect on road safety in that country in order to inform his policies.

Andrew Jones: We know that the number of people killed in drink drive collisions remains significantly higher in France than in Great Britain despite the introduction of the legal requirement to carry a breathalyser in 2012. In 2014 Trading Standards in Great Britain looked at the self-testing devices available and concluded that the majority of these were unreliable and may give anyone using them a dangerously false sense of security. We therefore have no plans to introduce any such requirement in Great Britain.

Diesel Vehicles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to encourage more use of diesel vehicles.

Andrew Jones: The Government’s policy is to support measures to encourage cleaner, more sustainable vehicles and transport systems. Over £2 billion has been committed since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles and green transport initiatives and to support local authorities to take action.

Speed Limits

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to investigate the effectiveness of 20mph zones in local authorities which have implemented them.

Andrew Jones: Research into pilot 20mph speed limits, with little or no traffic calming, in Portsmouth and Bristol published in 2010 and 2012 showed small reductions in average speeds. The Portsmouth scheme also saw a reduction in casualties greater than the equivalent national reduction. Reviews of 20 mph zones in 1996 and 1998 by the Transport Research Laboratory found that zones, which incorporate traffic calming, achieved significant reductions in speeds and annual accident frequency. Reductions in speeds were minimal without traffic calming. The Department for Transport has commissioned new work into the effects of 20mph limits including effects on speed, collisions, casualties and modal shift. The research also considers best practice, road users’ perceptions and environmental quality.

Speed Limits

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on establishing 20mph zones.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport has provided a wide range of guidance for local authorities on establishing 20 mph zones. Local Transport Note 1/07 ‘Traffic Calming’ sets out design guidance on 20 mph zones, summarising the advice provided in earlier Traffic Advisory Leaflets, whilst guidance on signing is provided in the Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 3 and the Area-wide Authorisations and Special Directions Guidance Note. Advice on setting speed limits is provided in Department for Transport Circular 01/2013 ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’. All of these documents are available on the Department’s website.

Bus Services: West Yorkshire

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the provision of rural bus services in West Yorkshire.

Andrew Jones: Decisions about the provision of bus services requiring local government subsidy are a matter for individual English local authorities, in the light of their other spending priorities. The majority of public funding for local bus services is via block grant provided to local authorities in England from the Department for Communities and Local Government. However, my Department also provides around £40m of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) funding directly to English local authorities to help deliver bus services, of which over £2 million goes to West Yorkshire.

Railways: Floods

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent disruption due to flooding in Northern England on railway passengers.

Andrew Jones: The impact of the recent storms on the rail network across the North of England has clearly created difficulties for passengers, businesses and communities. Operators and Network Rail have worked together to implement and operate services so as to cause the minimum of disruption to customers. I pay tribute to the efforts of Network Rail’s teams which are still working to repair the damage, and thank passengers for their patience while these works are going on. The Rt Hon Member will have noted that the line between Newcastle and Carlisle has now reopened, following repair of the serious damage between Prudhoe and Hexham.

Motor Vehicles: Disability

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 19143, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the administration of disability exemptions on vehicle excise duty and the effect on parking charges in local authority car parks.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport has not issued guidance to local authorities on the administration of disability exemptions on vehicle excise duty. The issue of guidance to local authorities on off-street car parking charges would be a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government, which has policy responsibility for this matter. It is for local authorities to decide what factors to take into account when considering how to apply concessions and exemptions from parking charges.

Bus Services: Franchises

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to ensure that bus service levels are maintained during the transition period before the introduction of a bus franchise.

Andrew Jones: We have given careful thought to the practical implications of the transition period and the possible safeguards that can be built in to the Bill to help maintain bus service levels for passengers. The Bill is still being drafted and it is therefore too early to confirm the detail of the process that may be proposed through the Bill.

Bus Services: Franchises

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria he plans that local authorities will be expected to meet in order to justify bus franchising in their areas; and whether he plans that assessment will be subject to independent assessment.

Andrew Jones: The Buses Bill will introduce new powers for local authorities to franchise their local bus services. The Bill is still being drafted and it is therefore too early to confirm the detail of the process that may be proposed through the Bill.

Bus Services: Franchises

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the costs of bus franchising outside London.

Andrew Jones: The actual costs and benefits will depend on how franchising is implemented at the local level. The potential impacts of the Buses Bill proposals will be set out in the Impact Assessment which will accompany the introduction of the Bill. When considering the costs of bus franchising it will be important for the authority to consider alternatives as well as the costs and benefits of proposals.

Bus Services: Franchises

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of bus franchising on the vehicle manufacturing sector.

Andrew Jones: My Department has not yet entered into discussions with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of bus franchising on the vehicle manufacturing sector. My officials have, however, discussed proposals with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Bus Services: Franchises

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that bus operators are incentivised to invest in new vehicles when franchising is an option open to local authorities after plans for the devolution of that policy are implemented.

Andrew Jones: Local transport authority with access to bus franchising powers will wish to ensure that local operators are aware of their intentions, so that investment decisions can be taken and services continue to be provided in the best interests of passengers Any authority that chooses to implement franchising will have the ability to specify its requirements of operators as part of any franchise contract. This could include requirements relating to the standards of vehicles to be used by operators.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia: Military Aid

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2016 to Question 22031, whether he has received any reports from UK personnel working with the Saudi military of (a) negligent and (b) inadvertent potential breaks of international humanitarian law.

Mr Philip Hammond: Holding answer received on 02 February 2016



The UK is not a member of the Saudi-led Coalition. British personnel are not involved in carrying out strikes, directing or conducting operations in Yemen or selecting targets. They are also not involved in the Saudi targeting decision-making process. British liaison officers have provided information as part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) monitoring of incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations. Looking at the information available to us, we have assessed that there has not been a breach of IHL by the coalition, but continue to monitor the situation closely, seeking further information where appropriate.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what actions he has taken as a result of receiving the Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen.

Mr Philip Hammond: Holding answer received on 02 February 2016



We are looking at the conclusions of the UN Panel of Experts’ report carefully. We recognise the importance of the work of the UN Panel of Experts. Looking at the information available to us, we have assessed that there has not been a breach of IHL by the coalition.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to Bahraini government on the treatment of political prisoners in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) most recently raised human rights with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa on 4 February. Where we have specific concerns around convictions or sentencing, we raise these with the Government of Bahrain as part of our dialogue on human rights and reform.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Higher Education: Admissions

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who applied to university in each of the last six years.

Joseph Johnson: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publishes data on application and entry rates for full-time undergraduate courses. The tables show the proportion of 18 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds who applied to university by the main January deadline (application rate) and the proportion of 18 year olds that accepted a place during a UCAS application cycle (entry rate).Table 1: Application rates for English 18 year olds from POLAR3 quintile 1 areas (for entry in year)2009201020112012201320142015201615.2%18.0%18.6%17.9%18.9%20.4%21.0%22.0% Table 2: Entry rates for English 18 year olds from POLAR3 quintile 1 areas (for entry in year)200920102011201220132014201513.6%14.2%15.1%15.1%16.4%17.8%18.5%  Notes:Data published by UCAS covers full-time undergraduate applications. Table 1 shows the application rates by the main January deadline.Data for entry rates in Table 2 include acceptances across the whole application cycle.Disadvantage is measured by POLAR quintile 1 an area based measure of low participation.Source of data for application rates: UCAS ‘Application rates by the January Deadline’ report for the 2016 cycle (underlying data for Figure 14) – published in February 2016.Source of data for entry rates: UCAS ‘2015 End of Cycle’ report (underlying data for Figure 65) – published in December 2015.

Department for International Development

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid the UK gave to Afghanistan in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID’s bilateral aid expenditure in Afghanistan for 2010-11 was £99.3m and in 2011-12 was £153.9m.

Southern Africa: Poverty

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in poverty in southern Africa to mitigate the effects of the severe drought in that region.

Justine Greening: DFID is providing additional support to help mitigate the impact of El Niño-related drought in southern Africa. We are delivering humanitarian assistance to drought-affected communities, boosting disaster preparedness activities and improving the resilience of households to future climate shocks. Building resilience against climate shocks is a key component of all our climate-related work across Africa.

Developing Countries: Employment

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she plans to take to support the provision of real and sustainable employment to young refugees in states with high youth unemployment.

Justine Greening: Over the next five years, DFID will build on its economic development work to ensure productive employment opportunities for young people are increased, including those in situations of protracted displacement.Significant commitments to support Syrian refugees gain employment were made at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London on 4 February, which was co-hosted by the UK alongside Norway, Germany, Kuwait and the UN.

Syria: Refugees

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing for (a) Syrian refugees and (b) Syrian refugee children in Europe; and if she will make a statement.

Justine Greening: DFID is providing nearly £46 million to support refugees in Europe. Part of this funding will provide shelter, warm clothes, food, and medical supplies, including for 27,000 children and babies, many of whom have fled fighting in Syria.

Developing Countries: Mental Illness

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the high incidence of mental health disorders in countries (a) with poor mental health support services and (b) that are experiencing conflict or have recently emerged from conflict; and if she will make a statement.

Justine Greening: DFID is funding work on mental health in several of our focus countries. For example in Malawi, under the Health Partnership Scheme DFID is helping to establish a community-based programme to improve care of people with common and severe mental health illnesses.The UK is also providing mental health services through the provision of mobile clinics, healthcare and emergency surgery for Syrian refugees caught up in the ongoing crisis

Department for Education

Fire Stations: Greater London

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse was of the purchase of the Kingsland Fire Station site for use by the Hackney New Primary School; and how much accrued to the public purse from the sale of that site.

Nick Gibb: The Government purchased the Kingsland Fire Station, 333 Kingsland Road, London E8 4DR for the sum of £16,000,000 (exclusive of VAT) from the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority in October 2015. The site has not been sold on. The purchase, which was funded from the Department for Education’s budget, was made in the name of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; this is a long standing convention whereby the seal of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is held equally across all government departments and used for Land Registry Title purposes. We do not have the details of any gain made by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority from the sale of the site; that could only be answered by the Authority.

Further Education

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 24002, how many steering group meetings of the area reviews of post-16 education and training have taken place in (a) Birmingham and Solihull, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) Sheffield City Region, (d) Tees Valley, (e) Sussex, (f) Solent and (g) West Yorkshire since September 2015; and which such steering group meetings regional schools commissioners attended.

Nick Boles: Holding answer received on 04 February 2016



All Wave 1 Area Reviews have held a number of local steering group meetings, of which RSCs are members. Dates of some of the steering group meetings are in the public domain, as are details of membership of the steering groups.

Sixth Form Education: Admissions

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students were enrolled in (a) school sixth forms, (b) academy sixth forms and (c) 16 to 19 years free schools which have been established since September 2011 in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Boles: Holding answer received on 05 February 2016



The 2014 to 2015 academic year is the most recent year for which full-year enrolment figures are available.The following enrolment figures are based on institutions that were established on or after 1 August 2011 as this is the start of the school allocation year.There were 5,825 students enrolled at 54 newly established School Sixth Form institutionsThere were 17,118 students enrolled at 159 newly established Academy Sixth Form Institutions (Including Studio School’s and UTC’s)There were 3,289 students enrolled at 29 newly established 16-19 Years Free School institutions

School Meals

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has for the implementation of the recommendations in the School Food Plan (SFP) after the end of the SFP office's contract with her Department at the end of March 2016.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Holding answer received on 12 February 2016



Actions from the School Food Plan include significant lasting achievements, such as cooking in the national curriculum and the implementation of a set of new school food standards. We are committed to the Plan’s vision of increasing take-up of school meals through improvements to the quality of the food and the dining experience.

Ministry of Justice

Cycling: Accidents

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of penalties for motorists causing death by car dooring.

Andrew Selous: A death caused by a collision with a car door can, depending on the circumstances, be classified as one of a number of offences carrying different maximum penalties. While there is a specific offence, under regulation 105 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, to“open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person” which has the maximum penalty of a level 4 fine (£2,500), other possible charges include offences against the person which carry maximum penalties of up to life imprisonment. The Government is aware of concerns about a number of sentencing issues and intends to start a consultation on sentencing before the end of the calendar year. This would include driving offences and penalties.

Legal Representation

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have represented themselves as litigants in person in (a) civil, (b) criminal and (c) family courts in 2015-16 to date.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice does not collect information centrally on Litigants in Person in civil related court cases, criminal court cases or family court cases.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken for appeals for benefit sanctions.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits. HMCTS does not record data specifically relating to appeals against sanctions imposed by DWP. In order to increase the capacity of the Tribunal, and therefore speed up the appeals process, HMCTS has recruited extra judges and medical members, increased venue capacity and introduced more efficient processes. This action, coupled with a reduction in appeal receipts, has enabled HMCTS to reduce the overall average length of time to administer appeals from 28 weeks in the period July to September 2014, to 19 weeks for the same period in 2015 (the latest period for which statistics have been published). The median length of time to administer appeals (which will be the experience of the majority of appellants) has reduced from 18 weeks to 14 weeks in the same period. Information on the length of time taken to administer appeals generally is published by the Ministry of Justice in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report, for the period July to September 2015, published on 10 December 2015, can be viewed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2015

Prisoners: Death

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many referrals were made to coroners in England which relate to people who have died in state detention in (a) 2010 and (b) 2015.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the level of funding was for coroners in the coroner areas of (a) Birmingham and Solihull, (b) the Black Country and (c) Coventry in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2015-16; and what assessment he has made of the implications for such funding of trends in the number of cases dealt with by coroners between those two years.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many referrals were made to coroners in England in respect of people who  died in a care home or hospital and were subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in 2015.

Caroline Dinenage: The Ministry of Justice does not have operational responsibility for coroner services, as they are funded and run by local authorities. The level of funding for the Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country and Coventry coroner services is a matter for the relevant local authorities and the Ministry of Justice holds no information on this. Statistics for deaths reported to coroners, including deaths in state detention and those subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, are published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coroners-and-burials-statistics. We do not have information on the number of deaths in state detention reported to coroners in 2010 as this information has only been gathered centrally since 2012. The statistics for 2015 will be published in due course.

Leader of the House

Opening of Parliament

Julie Cooper: To ask the Leader of the House, when he plans to announce the date of the next State Opening of Parliament.

Chris Grayling: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 February 2016 to Question UIN 24624.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

National Gallery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received concerning paintings left by Sir Hugh Lane to the National Gallery.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy met with Paul McGuinness, Roy Foster and Sir Donnell Deeny in September to discuss the bequest left by Sir Hugh Lane to the National Gallery. The department has received no other representation concerning the bequest.

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Weapons: Transport

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23641, which of the five findings contained in the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator assessment of Exercise Senator 2011 has not been formally closed out.

Mr Philip Dunne: The finding not yet formally closed out in the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) assessment of Exercise Senator 2011 called for a review of the hazard assessment for the transport operation. This is to ensure that protection measures remain proportionate to the risk and continue to be based on up-to-date scientific and regulatory advice. DNSR continues to have confidence in the adequacy of the arrangements currently in place, as has been demonstrated at emergency response exercises, but believes it is timely to conduct a review.We currently expect the finding to be closed out within the next 12 months.

Defence Equipment

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the amount set aside for contingency funding was within the overall equipment budget of his Department in each of the last six years.

Mr Philip Dunne: Centrally held contingency funding for the Defence Equipment Plan (EP) was introduced for the first time in 2012, at which point it totalled £4.8 billion over the 10 year planning period. The level of contingency has remained broadly stable over the subseqent four years, as shown in the table below.   EP Contingency by Financial Year 2012-132013-142014-152015-1610 Year Total£4.8 billion£4.7 billion£4.6 billion£4.3 billion

HMS Vengeance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was of refitting and refuelling HMS Vengeance between March 2012 and December 2015.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) of HMS Vengeance between March 2012 and December 2015 was carried out under a contract worth just over £350 million.

Sea King Helicopters

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24277, how many Sea King (a) Mk3, (b) Mk3a, (c) Mk4 and (d) Mk5 aircraft are planned to be taken out of service in 2016; and what plans the Government has to replace those assets.

Mr Philip Dunne: A total of 32 Sea King aircraft are planned to be taken out of service during 2016:10 Mk32 Mk3a9 Mk411 Mk5The Search and Rescue role provided by these Sea King helicopters is to be delivered by contractor-provided services. Other roles delivered by these aircraft will transition to the Merlin fleet operated by the Royal Navy.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the US Department of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation report of 1 February 2016 on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Mr Philip Dunne: The independent programme review from the US Department of Defense Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) occurs annually, and the UK F-35 Test and Evaluation Squadron forms an integral part of its Joint Operational Test activity. All of the issues identified in the 2015 OT&E Report are understood and are being actively managed by the F-35 programme.Overall, the F-35 programme continues to make steady progress. The UK programme remains on track to deliver Initial Operating Capability in December 2018.

Royal Regiment of Scotland: Reserve Forces

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel from 6 SCOTS and 7 SCOTS received the annual bonus for fulfilling the minimum training commitment in each of the last three years.

Mr Julian Brazier: The number of personnel who received a bounty is as follows: Unit2012-132013-142014-156 SCOTS1501201507 SCOTS200190190 Reserve Personnel receive an annual Bounty if they meet all of the following criteria: Pass the military annual training tests, attend annual continuous training (annual camp), and attend a specified number of non-continuous training days. This is not an obligatory requirement to be in the Army Reserve, but it is a requirement to receive the Bounty. The number of training days required varies for each individual depending on the terms under which they enlisted, allows for personal circumstances, and allows for other training to count in lieu of annual camp. All elements are required for the award of a Bounty: therefore some individuals may have met the attendance requirement but have not been awarded a Bounty because they have not met another requirement.

Armed Forces

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 5.14 of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, what the timetable is for the establishment of Defence Staffs in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Mr Julian Brazier: The British Defence Staffs in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa will be established by the end of 2016. The exact timetable is under consideration. Once decisions have been made I will write to the hon. Member to inform him of the dates when the British Defence Staffs will be in operation.

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the financial health of the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company and its potential effect on the MARS programme.

Mr Philip Dunne: Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) continues to progress the build of all four ships under the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Tanker contract. The Ministry of Defence is aware of reports in the specialist press regarding financial losses reported in the shipbuilding industry, including DSME. We continue to closely monitor this situation with DSME, noting that this is primarily a matter for the company.

Defence: Civilians

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilians are employed by the (a) Ministry of Defence and its trading bodies and (b) contractors at (i) AWE Aldemaston; (ii) AWE Burghfield; (iii) BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness; (iv) Babcock at Devonport and (v) Rolls-Royce at Raynewsay, Derby; and how many such employees are employed by AWE Management Limited.

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what average wage was earned by civilians employed by (a) the Ministry of Defence and its trading bodies and (b) contractors at (i) AWE Aldermaston, (ii) AWE Burghfield, (iii) BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness, (iv) Babcock at Devonport and (v) Rolls-Royce at Raynesway, Derby in the last 12 months.

Michael Fallon: The number and average wage of civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at the listed sites is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.MOD does not hold figures relating to the employees of contractors by site. The number of civilians employed by the consortium AWE Management Ltd is 155.

Home Office

Social Networking: Children

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre is taking to protect children and young people from grooming through social media sites.

Karen Bradley: The National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command leads, supports and coordinates the law enforcement response to the threat from child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) which has been designated one of the highest priority crime threats facing the UK.CEOP Command works closely with social media companies, and law enforcement agencies in the UK and overseas, to identify victims and pursue offenders engaged in grooming children on the internet. CEOP Command has developed a comprehensive education programme, called Thinkuknow, which provides targeted advice to children, parents and carers, including on how to use social media safely.In 2014/15, over 3 million children saw the NCA’s Thinkuknow educational material. Further detail on the Thinkuknow campaign can be found online at: www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Pornography: Internet

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) children under 16 and (b) people aged 16 to 25 have been victims of reported revenge porn in each year since it became a criminal offence.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) children under 16 and (b) people aged 16 to 25 have been (i) tried and (ii) convicted of revenge porn in each year since it became a criminal offence.

Karen Bradley: The requested information is not available centrally. Offences of disclosure of private sexual photographs and films with the intent to cause distress or anxiety have been included in the harassment offence category since April 2015 in the statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. However, it is not possible to separately identify the age of the victims or the exact offence (from within harassment).The most recent statistics can be found in Table A4 available at this link: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/crime-in-england-and-wales---year-ending-september-2015/index.htmlConvictions data are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice has informed the Home Office that proceedings data for 2015 (including statistics for disclosure of private sexual photographs and films with the intent to cause distress or anxiety) are planned for publication in spring 2016.

Home Office: Compensation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

Karen Bradley: This information is not available, except at disproportionate cost.The Home Office records all Special Payments (of which compensation is a type). However, we are not required to report whether the recipient is internal or external to the Department.It is therefore not possible, from the data we have, to provide a compensation figure that separates out internal and external claimants.Page 154 of the Home Office’s 2014/15 Annual Report and Accounts has a table that lists the total value and number of all Special Payments

Vetting

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the smallest geographical unit is for which data on the performance of the Disclosure and Barring Service is gathered for enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Karen Bradley: The performance data that the Disclosure and Barring Service gathers routinely is at national level and is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-dataset-1-disclosure-progress-information-disclosed-and-update-service-subscriptionsAlso published on the website is the performance of individual police forces in processing applications referred to them by the DBS:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-dataset-5-police-disclosure-unit-performanceThe DBS works continually to improve its response to data requests. I will write separately to the Honourable Member about recent work on constituency data.

HM Treasury

VAT

Seema Malhotra: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) primary and (b) secondary policy purposes are of VAT exemption for supplies of commercial property.

Mr David Gauke: Supplies of commercial property are subject to a mandatory VAT exemption under the European VAT Directive.

Google: Tax Avoidance

Caroline Flint: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury of 3 February 2016, Official Report, column 975, what level of information has been disclosed to him in respect of Google's tax return and the HM Revenue and Customs agreement with that company.

Mr David Gauke: The information to which Ministers have access is the same as that in the public domain. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the conduct of tax inquiries. Ministers are not privy to information about the individual tax arrangements of any company.

Welfare Tax Credits

Louise Haigh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cancellations of tax credits by Concentrix have been reversed since that company's contract with his Department commenced.

Mr David Gauke: Up to the end of January 2016, Concentrix have changed around 4800 out of around 419,000 decisions that they have taken since the start of the contract. These changed decisions are often as a result of new information provided by the claimant that had not been provided at the time of the original decision. The 4800 changed decisions includes some awards that were cancelled and others that were amended.

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has target times for responding to written correspondence from members of the public; and what change there has been in the volume of written correspondence to HMRC from the public seeking information or assistance over the last three years.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) targets for responding to written correspondence received via post are to reply to 80% within 15 working days and 95% within 40 working days. The volume of written correspondence received by HMRC has decreased over the past three years, and is currently at around one million items per month. HMRC regularly publishes general performance reports on Gov.uk.

Minimum Wage

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was recovered by HM Revenue and Customs as arrears for non-compliance with the national minimum wage in each quarter since 1 April 2014; from how many employers that amount was recovered; and for how many workers that amount was recovered.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review all complaints that are referred to them. Full year figures for 2014/15 are provided in the ‘Final government evidence for the Low Pay Commission’s 2016 Report’, which is available to view at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-final-government-evidence-to-the-low-pay-commission-2016 The Government is committed to cracking down on employers who break NMW law. Between April 2015 and November 2015, HMRC took action against over 500 businesses, identifying over £8 million for 46,000 workers. This is already the largest amount of arrears identified in any single year since the introduction of the NMW.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the savings to the public purse of the proposed emergency brake on in-work benefits for EU citizens in employment in the UK.

Damian Hinds: Details of the proposals for restricting in-work benefits for EU nationals will be subject to further negotiation and we cannot speculate on these.

Stamp Duties

Jim McMahon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with which local authorities and combined authorities his Department is in discussions on retention of Stamp Duty income by local bodies.

Greg Hands: Proposals are developed by and belong to local areas, therefore publication of proposals is a matter for individual places. Agreed devolution deal documents are published on the gov.uk website.

Cabinet Office

Government: Debt Collection

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Government has spent on debt collection activity in each of the last seven years.

Matthew Hancock: This information is not held centrally. Individual departments are responsible for managing their own debt.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Vetting

Phil Boswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any proposed special advisers have failed security vetting since May 2010.

Matthew Hancock: It has been the policy of successive governments not to comment about the individuals subject to security vetting.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Pay

Phil Boswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department's policy is on when to inform Parliament about changes to pay grades of special advisers in any ministerial department.

Phil Boswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how often his Department publishes details of special advisers and their pay grades during a Parliament.

Matthew Hancock: Annually.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23778, on civil servants: pensions, and with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Stockton North of 7 January 2016, for what reason a deduction was made from the refund on the Principal Civil Service Pension of the constituent referred to in that letter.

Matthew Hancock: Like other occupational pension schemes, the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) is required by law to provide a widow’s pension, in respect of service from 6 April 1978, whenever a member dies and leaves an eligible widow – irrespective of when that marriage took place. To cover the risk of the scheme having to pay a widow’s pension in respect of a marriage that took place after a member leaves service, a non-refundable insurance-type premium is deducted from the refund of members of the classic section of the PCSPS who remain single throughout service. This premium is a type of group insurance against the specific risk of a member dying and leaving an eligible widow/widower.

Civil Servants: Training

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what cyber-security training civil servants are required to undertake (a) as part of their induction and (b) during their employment.

Matthew Hancock: All civil servants undertake information security training; including the e-learning course, "Responsible for Information" as part of their induction and as a yearly refresher, plus further training as necessary.

Civil Servants: Per Capita Costs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of (a) agency workers and (b) directly employed staff in the civil service at each grade in each year since 2010.

Matthew Hancock: All this information is publically available on GOV.UK.

Senior Civil Servants: Greater London

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 25009, what proportion of people in the Senior Civil Service were based in London in each year since 2010.

Matthew Hancock: The Civil Service requires a variety of skills and professions within its workforce and many senior civil servants, by nature of their remit, work closely with Ministers, which is why the majority of these positions are based in London.The proportion of SCS based in London has remained relatively stable from 2010 to 2015.1st April 201065.1%1st April 201165.0%1st April 201265.5%1st April 201363.9%1st April 201465.4%1st April 201567.0%Although the proportion has increased, this represents an overall decrease in headcount, from 2,840 at 1st April 2010 to 2,660 at 1st April 2015.

Ireland

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to develop (a) the British-Irish Council, (b) the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and (c) other such east-west structures.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The UK Government hosted the most recent British-Irish Council (BIC) Summit, in London, on 27 November 2015. At the Summit, the Council agreed a set of principles to make sure the BIC work sectors continue to deliver value for all Member Administrations. The UK Government is working with the other BIC Member Administrations to implement this work and will report back at future Summits. Further information can be found in the summit communique:http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqu%C3%A9s/London%20271115%20Communique.pdfThe Government continues to operate the structures of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in line with international agreements. There are no plans to develop its use. The UK enjoys a strong relationship with the Republic of Ireland.To ensure that we continue to build on this strong foundation, the Prime Minister holds an annual summit with the Taoiseach at which they discuss mutual challenges and opportunities to work on issues of common interest. This is supported by an annual summit in the autumn between the Permanent Secretaries of the UK Government and Irish Government, which oversees and takes forward a joint work programme between the UK and Ireland governments.

Ministers' Private Offices

Helen Whately: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8466, how many additional extended ministerial offices have since been established.

Matthew Hancock: An Extended Ministerial Office (EMO) is also being established in the Scotland Office.

Local Government: Cybercrime

Steven Paterson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions his Department has held with local authorities on cyber-security.

Matthew Hancock: The Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance (OCSIA) in the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office works with a range of government partners to deliver the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP). OCSIA has been working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to support local government cyber security. This includes working with individual councils, the Society of IT Management (SOCITM), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executive (SOLACE) and the Local Government Association (LGA). This financial year the NSCP funded team within DCLG has delivered regional workshops for local government leaders with further workshops planned later this year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Marine Conservation Zones

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on developing effective management strategies for Marine Conservation Zones.

George Eustice: The Government is committed to delivering a ‘Blue Belt’ of well-managed Marine Protected Areas around our coasts. Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) are given legislative protection under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Under this Act, a consent or licence can only be agreed where there is no significant risk to the conservation objectives of the MCZ, except in exceptional cases and subject to stringent conditions.Where fishery management measures are required, Defra is working with the Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities and the Marine Management Organisation to identify appropriate fisheries management measures for all Tranche 1 MCZs by the end of this year and, as a result, those site features considered to be at “high risk” are already being protected. For Tranche 2 MCZ sites, appropriate fisheries management measures will be identified by the relevant authority within two years of designation.

Food: Waste

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage households to (a) reduce food waste and (b) increase awareness of food waste.

Rory Stewart: Working through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), we are increasing awareness of food waste and helping households waste less and save money through the Courtauld Commitment and the Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) campaign. These have contributed to a 15% reduction in the amount of household food and drink waste between 2007 and 2012, from 8.3m tonnes to 7.0m tonnes.WRAP is currently running the LFHW ‘10 cities’ campaign across the UK. The campaign includes activities in each city including cascade training, practical cookery classes and demonstrations, a kitchen skills programme, food champion networks and memorable experiential events.WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which is expected to be launched in March and will build on this progress.

Fishing Vessels

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to reduce the administrative burden placed on fishing boats under 10 metres.

George Eustice: I am keen to ensure that administrative burdens on the small-scale fleet are kept to the minimum possible, while still allowing for effective management of the fishery. Improvements to the services offered to fishermen by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) include:Simplification of the application process under the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund scheme;The introduction of exemptions under the Landings Obligation so that industry does not have to bear a disproportionate cost of disposing of unwanted fish;Streamlining application forms to reduce size and make them easier to understand; and,Moving to permanent vessel licences, eliminating the need to replace them every five years.Defra and the MMO will continue to engage with individuals within the ten metres and under fishing community in order to identify additional areas where administrative burdens might be reduced, or where other improvements could be made.

Flood Control

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Oxford Farming Conference on 6 January 2016, how she plans to ensure that effective national strategies on flooding and flood defences are created and maintained.

Rory Stewart: The Environment Agency (EA) has a duty under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy for England. The strategy was published in 2011. The Act also lays down that the EA must report to the Minister on flood and costal erosion risk management including the application of the national strategy. The EA publishes this report annually.In addition Government is undertaking a National Flood Resilience Review which will assess how the country can be better protected from future flooding and increasingly extreme weather events. It will focus on four key areas: updating our climate modelling and stress-testing the nation’s resilience to flood risk; assessing the resilience of our important infrastructure like electricity substations; our temporary defences; and our future investment strategy. The Government launched a call for evidence on 2 February. The Review will align closely with Defra’s work on catchment-level management of the water cycle in the Government’s 25 year Environment Plan.

Food: Waste

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to meet the UN target of reducing food wastage by 50 per cent by 2030.

Rory Stewart: Food waste is an issue requiring urgent action throughout the world and the UN target of halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels is an important objective. Working through WRAP, we are taking concerted action and are leading the way in the EU and Internationally.We have made significant progress to reduce food waste through the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary agreement with retailers and food manufacturers, and WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign which gives consumers advice and tips on reducing food waste at home. Courtauld Commitment signatories reported a reduction of 7.4% in supply chain waste between 2009 and 2012 under Courtauld 2. Interim results for Courtauld 3 show signatories reported a further 3.2% reduction by 2014.We also made progress through a voluntary agreement with the hospitality and food service sector. Hospitality Agreement signatories achieved a reduction in CO2e emissions of 3.6% by preventing food waste and the food and packaging recycling rate rose from 45% to 57% between 2012 and 2014.We want to go further. WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which will build on this progress. Courtauld 2025 is expected to be launched in March 2016.

Common Agricultural Policy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts during the renegotiation of the terms of the UK's membership of the EU on the Common Agricultural Policy; and if she will take steps to secure a better outcome for the British farmers within that policy.

George Eustice: The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership which can cause so much frustration in the UK. The Prime Minister has set out the UK’s priorities that will deliver a better deal for the UK and secure our future. The Government is focused on driving forward a successful renegotiation; it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.Separately, the UK continues to make the case in Europe for improvements to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) so that it is simpler and more effective. Reducing the administrative burden of the CAP on farmers is a necessary part of increasing the competitiveness of our food and farming industries.

Food: EU Action

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with representatives of the EU institutions on the recognition of British ingredients in food stuff.

George Eustice: It is important that consumers can make informed decisions about the food they buy including being able to understand the origin of the food. We have introducted rules on labelling the origin of fresh meat. The Secretary of State and I have also pressed the Commission to require the origin of milk be given on dairy products. Defra officials have pushed the Commission to introduce rules to improve further the origin labelling of ingredients in processed foods, for example, meat pies.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Public Expenditure

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 903457, when the Spending Review settlement to her Department will be fully allocated.

Rory Stewart: Budgets for 2016/17 to 2020/21 have not yet been finalised. Defra’s internal business planning process is still underway, and it would not, therefore, be appropriate at this time to comment on how particular policy areas may be affected.

Floods: Insurance

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take with insurance companies to ensure that savings from Flood Re are passed on to consumers in flood-risk areas.

Rory Stewart: Through the prices it charges insurers that cede policies to it, Flood Re will enable insurers to offer subsidised premiums, set by council Tax bands or equivalent, and reduced excesses to those at the highest risk of flooding. This is a competitive market and insurers are confident there will be a wide range of products available to consumers under Flood Re. It will remain important that households continue to shop around to ensure they can access the best prices.Flood Re will regularly monitor the accessibility and affordability of insurance for those at high flood risk. Defra and Flood Re will evaluate the success of the scheme at least every five years.

Department of Health

Department of Health: Compensation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt: The value of compensation payments made in each year since 2010* is outlined in the table below.Year Compensation paidValue of compensation paid to external claimantsValue of compensation paid to internal claimants   2014/15£211,000£173,7502013/14£3,648£02012/13£17,825£2502011/12£0£02010/11£0£0  *2015/16 data is still being audited and will be available when the final accounts are published later this year.

Aspartame

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which countries aspartame has been banned; and for what reason each such ban has been enacted.

Jane Ellison: We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that aspartame is permitted in all European Union Member States. It is also permitted in those countries aligned to EU legislation participating in the European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association. Aspartame has also been evaluated for safety by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and provisions for its use are included in the international Codex Alimentarius General Standard on Food Additives. Whilst the FSA is not aware of any countries where aspartame is banned, it is possible there are countries which do not have legislation regulating the use of aspartame or other food additives.

Obesity

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to measure the effectiveness of his Department's work to tackle obesity.

Jane Ellison: We will be setting out a comprehensive new strategy to tackle childhood obesity in due course.

NHS: Procurement

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Care Quality Commission on proposed changes to the contracts of Experts by Experience.

Ben Gummer: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and adult social care. The CQC is responsible for its own staffing requirements, including any decisions on contracts around the supplying of experts by experience for its inspections of providers. In line with Cabinet Office approvals processes, the Department: gave approval for the CQC to invite tenders for the Experts by Experience programme; andhaving sought and received clarification of the business case from CQC, approved the business case, to enable the CQC to proceed with finalising new contracts for Experts by Experience.

Cancer: Mortality Rates

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress NHS England has made on improving cancer survival rates.

Jane Ellison: Cancer survival rates are at a record high and continue to improve. However, we know that we have to strive to be better. The Independent Cancer Taskforce’s report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes (July 2015), recommends improvements across the cancer pathway, and set a clear ambition for further improvement of survival rates. NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the Taskforce’s recommendations and has appointed Cally Palmer CBE as National Cancer Director to lead on implementation, as well as new cancer vanguards to redesign care and patient experience. A new cross-system Cancer Transformation Board has been established to oversee the implementation of the strategy, and this met for the first time on Monday 25 January. There will also be a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Harpal Kumar, to oversee and scrutinise the work of the Transformation Board.

Cancer: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College for Nursing on the connection between cancer drugs and dementia.

Jane Ellison: There have been no such discussions.

Headaches: Diets

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the connection between a low-fat diet and the reduction of migraine attacks.

Jane Ellison: There have been no such recent discussions.

Gastrointestinal System: Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with stomach disorders in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: Data on the number of people diagnosed with stomach disorders in each of the last five years is not collected.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on enabling foreign nurses to fill vacancies in the NHS.

Ben Gummer: Overseas nurses and their contribution to the National Health Service was discussed with the Home Office Secretary on 17 June 2015 in a scheduled bilateral meeting.

Pancreatic Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to make available on the NHS less invasive treatment for inflamed pancreas conditions.

Jane Ellison: Pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas) may either be acute or chronic. Chronic pancreatitis is usually the result of repeated acute episodes of the condition. If a person has suspected acute pancreatitis, urgent admission to secondary care is required. Initial treatment may include pain relief, intravenous fluids and antibiotics for treatment of associated cholangitis (an infection of the biliary tract) or other acute infections. The management of chronic pancreatitis is usually carried out in secondary care, although the primary care healthcare professional may have a role in the provision of adequate pain relief, screening for diabetes (a possible complication), providing general lifestyle advice and support and referring or admitting patients to secondary care if they develop complication. Surgical intervention may be required in particularly severe cases of the condition. This may involve the removal of: inflamed sections of the pancreas; pancreatic tissue that has died as a result of infection; gallstones or the entire gallbladder; pseudocysts (sacs of fluid) which can develop on the pancreas; and, in particularly severe cases, the entire pancreas. Whilst some of these interventions may be minimally invasive, others will require more extensive surgical treatment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published Clinical Knowledge Summaries on both acute and chronic pancreatitis. They are available at the following links:cks.nice.org.uk/pancreatitis-chronic#!scenariocks.nice.org.uk/pancreatitis-acute

Pathology: Qualifications

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many pathologists qualified to conduct postmortems there were in (a) 2010 and (b) 2015.

Ben Gummer: The Department does not hold this information.

Department of Health: Staff

Mr David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of staff are employed in the Ministerial correspondence section of his Department.

Jane Ellison: The Department’s Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries unit currently employs a total of 31 permanent staff who work on both public and ministerial correspondence. There are also eight non-permanent workers filling vacancies within the unit who also work on public and ministerial correspondence. In 2015 the unit responded to 42,277 letters from hon. Members, Peers and the public.

Cholesterol

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to measure (a) national and (b) local performance on tackling high levels of cholesterol.

Jane Ellison: Cholesterol testing in primary care is included in the Quality Outcomes Framework for people diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes and this is published every year by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Public Health England’s (PHE) healthier lives website provides local comparisons of how well cholesterol is being controlled in people with diabetes. The link is below: http://healthierlives.phe.org.uk/topic/diabetes The Health Survey for England, an annual survey of the general population, has included measurements of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol every year since 2008. The data is publically available from the UK Data Service. In addition, the National Cardiovascular Health Intelligence Network within PHE is working closely with organisations concerned with cardiovascular disease to take forward the recommendations in the recent Heart UK report ‘Helping Us to Beat Cholesterol’. This report focusses on the importance of data in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease.

Prime Minister

Iraq: Arms Trade

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Prime Minister, whether he has had discussions with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic on the sale of Czech war planes to Iraq.

Mr David Cameron: I met the Czech Prime Minister in Prague on 22 January. We discussed reforming the UK’s relationship with the EU, the migration crisis, the international Syria donors conference, Syria and our shared fight against Daesh, and the sale of second-hand Czech Airforce aircraft to Iraq. I confirmed the UK was content for the sale of the Czech aircraft to proceed and welcomed the contribution this, and the Czechs, are making to the Coalition effort against Daesh.